


Equals and Opposites

by Kitexa



Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-10
Updated: 2013-08-10
Packaged: 2017-12-22 23:46:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/919462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kitexa/pseuds/Kitexa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After weeks of fighting for his attention, Raven finally finds Charles alone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Equals and Opposites

It was rare to find Charles alone, these days. If he wasn't dodging plasma bullets in the war bunker, or chasing Hank around the courtyard, she'd either find him tag-teaming Sean's 'habits' with Moira, or off doing... who knew what with Erik.

_Always someone, never you._

...exactly, though she'd never admit it aloud. (She would, but again, company always lingered and Raven would be damned if she slipped into girlish melodrama around the others.)

Now, however, Charles sat alone, nursing a scotch behind his desk, hunched and scowling over a spread of loose leaf paper.

A fleeting thought suggested she leave him be.

A glint of light off his cheek held her back. As did the... revelation he hadn't noticed her presence. Just because he promised to keep out of her head didn't prevent his powers from sensing her presence.

_He really must be busy._

Busy, overwhelmed...

Fixing a gentle smile, she leaned against the door, clearing her mind of any added clutter. "Knock knock."

Abruptly, he flinched, raising his head."R-Raven, I-- evening, I didn't see you there." the telepath fumbled, wiping away the stain on his cheek. Glass hit the table with a heavy 'clink,' pushing strain away and favoring a forced smile.

_Yep. Overwhelmed._

"I can tell." She chose instead, trailing into the study. She stopped just before the desk, leaning over its mahogany surface. A sheet of blond hair slid over her shoulder, faux blue eyes fixed intently on her foster brother. Charles' brow furrowed;  she beat him to it. "What's wrong?"

Previous knot unfurled, crawling up his forehead. "Whatever are you talking about? I'm--"

"You're not." Nodding to the glass, the... documents? (CIA stuff, no doubt.) And the prominent silver disrupting his otherwise youthful curls.  She'd note the irony, if worry hadn't curled over the edges of her heart. _He really does look like a professor, now._

"C'mon, Charles." Raven pressed, gentling her voice. "It's  _me._ " She hesitated, then slid her hand over his own.  Fingers flexed under her palm,  as though seeking comfort in the beverage still cradled beneath.

"Raven..." Head bowed, and his hand went slack.

_Progress._

"I'm fine...really," Charles went on, though his face betrayed those words; suddenly grave, tired, worry lining every premature crevice.

"But..?"

" _But_ I'm...I'm afraid--" He sighed. ' _I'm afraid I'm in over my head.'_

The transition from speech to thought didn't faze her. His confession, on the other hand...

Quieting a moment, she let her lips curve, and with her free hand, drew his chin back up. "Oh Charles... of course you are."A softened smile chased her words; twenty plus years together-- she knew his habits, well. Moreso than many of her own (isn't that always how it goes?)

Maybe.

Not the point.

Because Charles recoiled, hurt slapped across his face. "Yes, well, no need to rub it in." Huffy, tugging himself free. Trying, really; his hand, she still held firm.

"Hey, I'm not -- I'm not trying to insult you."

A skeptical glare.

"I'm _not._ " She matched his with an almost scolding one of her own. "It's been twenty years, Charles. I know your habits pretty well."

And there went that eyebrow again; joining his forehead in creased disbelief.

"Think about it." Raven continued, sitting herself on the desks edge. He gave her a look, but said no more. _So I do have his attention._ Or accusation. Either worked. "You're always jumping into things without looking at the details. The big picture, yeah, but little decisions, consequences-- like--" _our entire teenage years. "_ \--jumping off the boat, that night."

"I saved Erik--"

" _I know."_ Again, calmer. "I know. And I'm not saying you shouldn't have." She certainly wasn't saying that. "But we weren't prepared for a rescue mission. You got out of the water fine, but towels, a change of clothes... I kinda worried you'd catch pneumonia or something." He'd never had the strongest immune system, poor guy.

The harsh engravings in his expressions tempered, slightly. So he remembered, after all.

"I'm not...alright, fine. Perhaps I don't always... draw the best conclusions." A glance at her, then out, away. "Moira's the commanding voice, here."

"It was your choice to help her." She squeezed his hand. "You didn't have to."

The pressure, and words, no doubt, tugged his focus back. "We both know that isn't true."

...she held her tongue. "All I'm saying" Jumping back to the previous topic "is you need to look at everything. What is it...For every action...?"

At last, a small smile. "For every action, there's one of equal opposite... yes I...think I see what you mean."

"Good." Allowing herself a mirror grin, Raven's free arm rose to cup his cheek. "Don't let these idiots get to you; you've got it in you to be someone...someone really great." For all his naiveté, reckless decision-making, for all the times he'd neglected her in favor of alternative company, that little boy who found her so many years ago still saw the world in a way no one had or could since. 

A warm surge filled her when the light returned to Charles' eyes. "I-- thank you, Raven."

She nearly beamed. "Don't mention it." And for emphasis, she bent forward, aiming for his forehead. A split decision changed her mind, pecking his lips, instead. Charles flushed scarlet, sputtering as she broke away.  

"What-- you—that’s highly--"

Now she did beam, her own face burning. “Like I said, Charles.” Sincere, encouraging, stroking his cheek with her thumb. “ Look at everything.” He blinked—bright, so bright—those blue eyes at her, unable to form a verbal response. She laughed (adorable man), leaning in, again.   _You’ll do fine._ She added, when he didn’t pull away. _And I’ll be with you, every step of the way, to make sure of it._

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Tumblr Prompt. Not exactly what I'd intended it to be, but my muse sort of flickered, so I didn't want to continue with half the heart. I do wish I could've fleshed this out a bit more, maybe added some smut if I know how on earth to properly write het smut, but eh. It'll do. And I like fluff. So... yeah.


End file.
